An entity, such as a retail chain, may suffer losses due to theft of merchandise. For example, a customer may purchase an item and may dispose of the receipt as he/she leaves the store. An individual may recover the receipt from the trash and may shoplift an item from the store that is identified on the receipt or may steal an item identified on the receipt from another location (e.g., a delivery truck). The individual may return the item to the store using the receipt and may receive cash for the item.
Entities may further desire to accurately track purchases and to identify purchases with specific customers. For example, the store may wish to associate a customer with a certain receipt to allow the customer to return an item identified on the receipt. Stores may have difficulty in associating transactions with customers because a customer may not retain his/her receipt and/or the receipt may become damaged, e.g., by being washed when the receipt is left in a garment pocket by the consumer.
Entities may realize greater profits when customer purchases can accurately be tracked and related to the customer and/or when losses due to theft can be reduced and/or eliminated.